AUP vs VPS

[doubleclick]

I'm having a bit of cognitive dissonance from a seeming contradiction between your explanation of what a VPS is and the AUP.

Acceptable Use Policy prohibits excessive use of network resources, CPU time, memory, disk space and session time. On the other hand, in your explanation of VPS, it explains that each VPS account has set limits on the resources used.

It seems that your technology automatically prevents anyone from over using resources. Is this just because the AUP has become out of date, or am I missing something?

On an unrelated note, it says in the T&C that we will be billed for overages. Is there a way for me to set a cap so I don't use more than my allotment?

Thanks,
dc

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From Acceptable Use Policy:
http://www.powervps.com/aup.php


22. No Very High CPU Usage Programs Allowed

Network Performance
PowerVPS accounts operate on shared resources. Excessive use or abuse of these shared network resources by one customer may have a negative impact on all other customers. Misuse of network resources in a manner which impairs network performance is prohibited by this policy and may result in termination of your account.

You are prohibited from excessive consumption of resources, including CPU time, memory, disk space and session time. You may not use resource-intensive programs which negatively impact other customers or the performances of PowerVPS systems or networks. PowerVPS reserves the right to terminate or limit such activities.


=============================================
From "What is VPS?"
http://www.powervps.com/what.php

This resource management allows us to define a minimum guaranteed level of RAM and CPU for every VPS. So no matter what another VPS does your VPS is always guaranteed to be unaffected and function normally. This also allows us to let you burst to the maximum resource level if it is available, just imagine 6+Ghz of CPU power!

[charles]

The wording also covers our non-vps offerings. We can't cap your vps bandwidth use, but you can place limits on your own use using your panel.

hth
charles

[doubleclick]

Ah. I understand. So I don't have to worry about my breaking any rules, since the software will keep my programs from being resource hogs. Right?

Also, in the AUP I see:

26. No provision of free email services.

Does this limitation pertain to the VPS options? I was hoping to install SocketMail here.

[charles]

Again it's target at shared/reseller accounts. But socketmail itself isn't what the AUP is referring to. It's referring to someone signing up for a $9/month account and giving away thousands o free email accounts and service using it.

Regarding resources on the VPS, yes that's correct. However in our experience there is one thing, excessive I/O usage, that can affect performance of the entire server to some degree, just FYI. So if we found you doing something that caused extreme I/O that we considered abusive, we reserve the right to ask you to stop doing it.

Do you plan on using excessive resources, and if yes, what is it your planning on doing and why?

charles

[doubleclick]

Thanks again for your reply about SocketMail.

I'm asking about "excessive" for two reasons:

a. Excessive is a subjective word. Like beauty, it is in the eye of the beholder.

b. If I purchase software licenses to run on my site like socketmail, I don't want to build up a clientelle using it, and then get a notice from you that I have to quit using it or leave. That would completely disrupt my site, my business, and my clients. I don't want to see that happen.

My business is growing beyond my current shared hosting, but I'm not ready for a managed server yet. I'm looking for a smooth upgrade path, and VPS seems to be the next step. However, the statement "PowerVPS reserves the right to terminate or limit such activities." makes me extremely nervous.

If I don't know what resources a program will be pulling, and I don't know what you consider "excessive", it's taking a leap into a pool that may or may not have water in it.

In case your question is about my motives, I'm asking questions to prevent problems, not find ways around your policies to abuse them.

[charles]

Yup, just asking because believe it or not, some people come with the intention of abusing, and it was worth asking :). A case in point is we once has someone signup for a cpanel power-1, and gave away free hosting. In a matter of 3-4 days he had over 800 accounts and then wondered why the power-1 couldn't handle it, and expected it to work without upgrading.

As long as you understand the VPS comes with specific resources (like RAM and CPU) and if/when you start exceeding those, it will be you that notices your performance dropping or serivices failing for example, and you'd need to upgrade to a higher plan at that point.

I'll shut up and hopefully some customers will come forward and attest to the fact that the AUP etc is just basic CYA (for both you and I). We don't just cut customers off for anything other than blatest abuse and I can't recall ever doing it for resource abuse.

charles

[doubleclick]

I understand, Charles.

I really don't understand much about the resource usage of my sites and their software. Since cpanel only shows how much bandwidth and diskspace I am using, that's all I have to go on. And in the case of new apps like SocketMail, I don't even have that since I haven't tried it yet.

Would it be better for me to email someone on staff with the specific programs and needs that I have, or would be better for me to continue asking questions here in the forum for the benefit of future presale visitors?

[doubleclick]

I guess here if fine. . .

One of the sites I manage contains a forum. The forum admin periodically sends emails to all 1500 or so members. The current hosting company I have my accounts with limit this to 200 emails an hour, which quick math reveals an unpleasant task.

Will this VPS technology make it possible here for all 1500 to be sent at once?

[charles]

Sorry for the slow reply. Our forums are not a means for support and are attended to last. Please email support or sales if you need a timely response to anything (sales response can be spotty too, but not as bad a s here :) ).

Email is actually pretty resource intensive. You won't be able to send 1500 at once (anywhere) but it will certainly be a lot faster than 200 an hour. We don't impose any limits on you, but you'll find for practical reasons you'll want to throttle sending yourself, to something more like 200/minute.

charles

[doubleclick]

Thanks for the scoop, Charles.

I have been using shared hosting for about three years now, and while VPS seems to be the next step for me, I have to admit it makes me very nervous.

Here are the questions that are making me sweat:

What services will I lose using a VPS instead of shared? For example:

If whm or cpanel breaks, am I supposed to know how to fix them?
If one of my scripts needs a change of php configuration, am I supposed to know how to do it? If my server freezes, crashes, or has problems, am I supposed to know how to fix it?

In short, what new responsiblities will I have by switching from a shared hosting reseller plan?

[charles]

If you had any problems with the above, you can just email support.

You do need to pay some attention to your server as it is a full blown linux server, but for the most part the panels (especially cpanel) do a pretty good job of keeping itself and the key system components current. You do need to ask us for help though as we will not proactively make changes to your VPS without you asking.

charles

[doubleclick]

Well, I guess I'm going to dive in. I just got billed for another 30 days at my current location, so that will give me time to transition.

About the move:

All of my resold accounts use my dns server (ns1.me.com, ns2.me.com)

When do I change the definition of that with the registrar? Can I move my client's accounts one at a time, or does it mean if I intend to keep the same nameserver names, that I have to do them all at once?

Also, do I just put a redirect to the new ip on the old server to make sure sites with forum posts don't get posts in the wrong location during the transition?

Maybe you already have a checklist of things to do during the moving process (transferring log files, webstats, nameservers, mailservers, ips, etc. If so, you can just direct me there.

Thanks again

[ndndixie]

Welcome to our home! I've been with these guys for over a year now and they rock!
If you need help moving, tell support when you sign up. They are WONDERFUL about making it as painless as possible.

[charles]

All of my resold accounts use my dns server (ns1.me.com, ns2.me.com)

When do I change the definition of that with the registrar? Can I move my client's accounts one at a time, or does it mean if I intend to keep the same nameserver names, that I have to do them all at once?


The easiest is to signup with me.com and your VPS will be preconfigured for use, including ns1.me.com, ns2.me.com. You can then change the DNS on your current hosting (assuming you have this control) to point to the VPS as you migrate each account. You just have to maintain both sides for the duration of the move.

The easiest is to lower your TTL on your DNS zones to something like 5 minutes and just move them all at once and change your registrar over to your new IPs.


Also, do I just put a redirect to the new ip on the old server to make sure sites with forum posts don't get posts in the wrong location during the transition?


That or make them read only. Again here is where lowering the TTL helps, or just changing the DNS on your current host to point to the new host - even if there is a delay in propagation, your current dns server will send them to the right place. Same applies to MX records and mail.


Maybe you already have a checklist of things to do during the moving process (transferring log files, webstats, nameservers, mailservers, ips, etc. If so, you can just direct me there.

Thanks again

I don't know what panel you use now, or what you plan on taking with us, but our KB has an article showing how to minimize dowtime for a move using cpanel in the example.

hth
charles

[StingRay]

I would say, commit yourself to learning all of the above over time, but know that these guys will help you with just about anything when you need it.

I personally try to do it myself unless I know i have no hope at that time, or it's an emergency, or I'm pulling my hair out.

Also, a lot of those things are taken care of with automated scripts. SIM is great. If a service fails it auto restarts it for example.

[shadowcat]

Hi Doubleclick. Welcome.

I found it very easy to migrate my sites using WHM. Basically you just tell WHM where your files are using the same protocols that you would use to access FTP and then tell it to copy files from that FTP location.

The only problem I found and it is a general one is that migrating Nameservers will of course site downtimes so it might be best to warn folks before you start this process.

I am sure that most folks here will lend a good helping had, they are all very helpful indeed and your choice is a very good one. I have no complaints what so ever about this company.
Best regards.
Mark.



Well, I guess I'm going to dive in. I just got billed for another 30 days at my current location, so that will give me time to transition.

About the move:

All of my resold accounts use my dns server (ns1.me.com, ns2.me.com)

When do I change the definition of that with the registrar? Can I move my client's accounts one at a time, or does it mean if I intend to keep the same nameserver names, that I have to do them all at once?

Also, do I just put a redirect to the new ip on the old server to make sure sites with forum posts don't get posts in the wrong location during the transition?

Maybe you already have a checklist of things to do during the moving process (transferring log files, webstats, nameservers, mailservers, ips, etc. If so, you can just direct me there.

Thanks again

[doubleclick]

Well this reply is really a "post-sales" post, as I went with PowerVPS.

I just wanted to update this thread for others who might be considering switching.

The support team here is amazing. I've been asking a million questions, and they are patient, provide results, and no matter how stupid of a question, they don't have a condescending attitude.

Sometimes when a fix is over my head, they just fix it for me (after asking), and then they explain what they did so I can be better prepared next time.

I still don't know most of what is available in my vps here, but I have confidence that the support team will help me with whatever problems I encounter. I was very nervous at switching, but given the results I've had so far, my reservations of potential problems have turned into the excitement of potential possiblilities.

Thank you.

[TomK]

Thank you, for your kind words as well as your business!